cooking with love and affection…

Beer Can Chicken

Adam loves chicken – I mean he REALLY loves it! When we go out to dinner, he usually orders a half roasted chicken. I haven’t made a chicken since moving to NYC because my roasting pan is in storage. So, I started thinking of other ways to roast a chicken. I had heard of Beer Can Chicken, but always associated it with grilling. I did some internet research and found that there are actually quite a few recipes for cooking Beer Can Chicken in the oven. Score!

I’m not certain if the type of beer is important, but it definitely has to be in a can. I can’t imagine what would happen if someone used a glass beer bottle (shredded chicken with a side of glass?). I used Pabst Blue Ribbon beer because it was the only beer in a can that came in a 6-pack – where as all of the other ones came in 12 or 24. I’m not a huge fan of beer in a can, so we went with the beer in a 6-pack that was “Selected as America’s Best in 1893”.

I would suggest attempting this on a Friday night or weekend because it takes 1 1/2 – 2 hours to cook! We ate pretty late last night, but it was worth it! The chicken was juicy, smoky, and spicy! For the last 30 minutes of cooking, I threw some sliced carrots (seasoned with some salt, pepper, and olive oil) into the baking dish around the bird. I think this added a nice flavor to the gravy I ended up making out of the pan drippings and beer. I can’t say many nice things about my mashed potatoes…

Okay, so I don’t think that I’ve ever made mashed potatoes. Nope, never made them. Well, I tried and failed last night. I used a recipe from Ina Garten, but I halved it & guessed on the amount of potatoes. Well, I added too much milk and tried to recover by adding a little bit of cornstarch, but they ended up a little gluey. They were okay tasting, but the consistency was off. Disaster! However, I now know what to do next time – trust my instincts.

Before you begin to cook your chicken, you will want to ensure that it has been thoroughly seasoned. You can purchase a rub or season from your local store, or you can make your own. Here is a recipe for Beer Can Chicken Rub that will ensure your chicken is seasoned to perfection.

First, you will need to wash the chicken thoroughly, and remove all innards. Be sure to pat the chicken dry. Next you will use the rub on both the inside and outside of the bird. You will need 1 can of beer that has been set at room temperature. Pop the top, and using a bottle opener, punch two more holes in the top of the can. This will help the beer escape while it cooks. You will need to empty out some of the beer. Make sure that half of the beer is left in the can. You can add some (roughly 2-3 TBS) of the Oven Beer Can Chicken Rub through the holes to flavor the beer.

The next step is to place the chicken over the beer can. Holding the chicken upright, place the chicken over the beer can until the can is snugly fit inside the chicken. The chicken is then placed into a roasting pan to prevent any drippings from falling into the oven. You can also use the drippings to create your gravy. If your chicken is unstable, you can use skewers to help it stand. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 2 hours, or until the skin is crisp, the chicken meat is done, and the juice runs clear. You don’t need to baste the chicken; the beer will ensure that the chicken remains moist. Remove the chicken from the oven and separate the chicken from the beer can. Let stand ten minutes before carving.